Beguiling the King
by roothlace
Summary: Based on the film One Night With the King. Four parter looking at Esther's and Xerxes' thoughts and actions at some points of their lives
1. Reading to the King

This story is based on the film _One Night with the King_.

Usual disclaimers apply.

Beguiling the King

Esther's POV

Esther couldn't believe her ears. The King needed somebody to read the Royal Diary to him and she had been chosen.

Hegai walked with her down the corridor. She was scared and worried; was she really ready to face the King, alone at night?

"Hegai," she asked him, "can I really read to the King, alone, dressed like this?"

Hegai didn't bother to reply. He knew that if the King was as astute as everyone claimed he was, he would see Esther.

She sat on the stool and picked up the scroll, looking around the room. She knew the rules, this night she wasn't a candidate. She was just a servant and as such had to follow protocol, not to look him directly in the eye, not to speak unless he asked her to and most importantly not to approach him uninvited.

The King was behind the curtain and she could barely make him out. He was making sculptures of some sort. She couldn't see him clearly but she remembered him well, she knew that he was a handsome man.

She read from the scroll, it was all dreary about grain supplies, death and lost sheep. Halfway through the reading Esther couldn't help herself, if the King wanted stories to help him sleep, why not tell him a really interesting one. The worst he could do was telling her to stop.

She began to tell him the story of Jacob, Rachel, Leah and Laban. The King didn't say a word, he just listened to her speak.

"In the morning Jacob said to Laban, did I not serve you seven years for Rachel? Why have you beguiled me?" Esther said.

"Why have you beguiled me?" Xerxes asked her.

Esther couldn't believe the King was speaking to her, his voice was deep and the most musical and beautiful sound that she had ever heard.

"Did he get to have his bride?" Xerxes asked, again.

Esther was too shocked to speak. The King was interested in her story, he wanted to know.

"Yes, he did," she replied, softly, "after serving seven more years."

He come out from behind the curtains and looked at her.

"What do they call you?" he asked her.

"Esther of Susa," she replied.

"Susa, no," he said, smiling softly, "nothing good can ever come out of Susa. Look at me." She looked at him; her memory had served her well. He was the best looking man she had ever seen. She wondered what he thought of her.

The King held out his hand to her, "come," he said, "come and see what I am doing."

Esther couldn't believe it, the King wanted to share something with her. While he was explaining to her about the Greek god of love, his hand accidently touched hers.

And that was the moment.

That was when Esther knew that she would love this man forever.

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Three nights later Esther was standing by the palace wall when Hegai joined her.

"You didn't read to the candidates today," he said.

"My throat is sore," Esther replied.

"It's your heart that's sore not your voice," he told her. "It's been three days since you read to him."

"Three days," Esther repeated, it felt like a lifetime.

Hadn't he felt anything at all? Hadn't he fallen in love like she had?

Why didn't he send for her? Just to read to him, be with him, not to marry him.

Why did he not want to see her?

She knew that he was receiving other candidates, what if he chose one before it was her turn? What if she other girl impressed him?

Xerxes' POV

Xerxes was vexed and he was too tense to sleep.

"Why not get someone to read to you?" he was told, "It will lull you to sleep."

Xerxes highly doubted it but he agreed it couldn't be any worse than it was now.

A young girl entered the room; he figured she had to be one of the candidates. She sat on the stool and began to read. Her voice was fine, she knew how to read.

At least Hegai had chosen well, Xerxes thought to himself.

He was listening to her talk about events that had taken place that day around his empire. She began to talk of a Jacob and his love Rachel. He stopped working on his sculpture, that couldn't be in the Royal Diary. He wanted to stop for her impertinence but instead he found himself intrigued by her story.

"In the morning Jacob said to Laban, did I not serve you seven years for Rachel? Why have you beguiled me?" she said.

Xerxes couldn't help himself, "Why have you beguiled me?" he asked her.

Unconsciously he stepped closer and left the curtains that were separating them, suddenly he was filled with the urge to know this girl better.

He asked her name and even invited her to see his work, something that he never did.

As they talked about the Greek god of love, his hand accidently brushed hers and Xerxes knew that he was lost.

"You will read to me, again," he told her.

00000

Three nights later the King sat in his room waiting for the candidate to show up. He hoped it would be Esther, but it wasn't.

Where was she? Why wasn't she being sent to him?

Luckily the candidate couldn't bear his sight; she vomited and had to be removed. Hopefully Esther would be brought to him tomorrow or he would have to come up with all kinds of excuses, he just hoped no one caught onto his game.

Had she not felt bond, he wondered? Had she not felt that they were destined to be together?

**Please review and tell me what you think. Should I continue with this?**


	2. One Night with the King

Xerxes' POV

The King sat in his room waiting for the nights' candidate to show up. He hoped that it would be Esther, but he had come up a plan to do away with the girl if it wasn't Esther.

The escorts came in and announced the candidate, and in she walked. A young girl of course, beautiful, and wearing a lot of jewelry. He was sitting on his stool ready to receive her.

"What do they call you?" he asked her.

"Zeldah, my lord." She replied.

"You may approach," he said to her and she took two steps closer to him.

"Tell me about yourself," he bade her.

She began to talk; Xerxes didn't even hear a word she said he was only waiting for a decent interval to pass before he feigned an illness.

She was in mid speech when he let out a loud cry, in no time at all the room was filled with people and the girl had to be taken away. The king had had a stomach upset the court was informed and needed to rest, so no candidates would be brought to him for two days.

Those two days were among the longest of Xerxes' life, many a time he longed to send for Esther but he knew that the princes would not approve of it, after all he wasn't supposed to have met her yet, and so he waited and prayed that she would be brought to him soon.

Two days after his illness a candidate was brought to him, the princes really wanted a queen and soon. He had had a scroll prepared for the candidate to read to him, he was in no mood for anything else.

"The scroll is on the stool," Xerxes said, as soon as the girl entered his room, "you may begin when you're ready."

He walked around waiting for the girl to read and then looked through the curtains, "wait, you're the one who read to me before," he told her.

At last, he thought to himself, his Esther was here.

Esther's POV

Esther was feeling broken hearted, there was no other word for it and as days went on without hearing from Xerxes she knew that she hadn't pleased him.

She dreamt about him at night, imagined him choosing her as his queen but since she was never sent for again, not even to read for him she knew her hopes were in vain.

Esther began to pray even more fervently that God would grant her favour in the king's eyes, that the king would remember her and love her as she did him.

Days passed and candidates went in to spend their one night with the king, she consoled herself that since no wedding ceremony took place he wasn't pleased with any of them.

'God grant me favour,' was her daily prayer. She talked to Hegai about her feelings and he consoled her as best he could but it wasn't near enough.

One morning while Esther was still sleeping, Hegai walked in and told her that today was her day. Esther prepared herself as best she could, wore her dress and only adorned herself with a simple necklace.

As she walked down the corridor leading to the king's room, holding tightly onto Hegai's hand, Esther wondered if he would remember her. She doubted that he would, after all he met so many beautiful people every day.

She walked slowly into the room she remembered so well.

"The scroll is on the stool, you may begin when you're ready." Esther looked at the stool and stood uncertainly. "Is there a problem?" Xerxes asked her, "Did they not tell you that I weary of this procession of candidates?"

He wasn't interested in knowing who she was; he just wanted someone to read to him.

"As if they wanted someone to-," he stopped moving around and looked straight at her and said, "wait, you're the one who read to me before. You tried to beguile me with love stories."

He remembered her.

0000

Xerxes couldn't believe his eyes. His prayers had been answered, his Esther had returned to him. He looked at her, she was dressed so simply not like he had come to expect, the other candidates had been wearing their weight in gold.

He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her while asking her to marry him but instead he said, "This is how to come to see me, your only adornment before your one night with the king?"

Esther listened to his words, he was harsh, and obviously he didn't feel the way that she did.

"I was taught," Esther said softly, "that when you visit a king, rather than expect a gift, you should bring one to lay at his feet." She took off her necklace and handed it to him, "this is my most valued possession in the world. It is my past, my present, and my future and all of it is yours."

He took the necklace, he looked at it in shock; his Esther was as wise as she was beautiful, the necklace was everything he wanted.

"Love is the easiest and the most stupid purchase," Xerxes said, still reeling from her words. She had touched him deeply, he felt like Jacob working fourteen years because he was sure of what he wanted, Rachel, his love.

"If it is for sale, it is not love," Esther told him, softly.

"Even you," he told her, "even you, must have a price."

"I am neither, a buyer nor a seller of love," Esther said to him.

Xerxes was overjoyed; he wanted to shout, to praise, to dance and to pray.

"Suppose, my lady," he said, walking towards her, "a man offered you treasures, gifts, say a kingdom." He looked at her; did she not understand what he was trying to tell her? Did she not see how much he loved her?

"I only gift I would accept, is your heart," Esther told him.

"Then it is yours," he replied, "and you need not serve fourteen years to get it."

He took her into his arms and twirled her around and around.

"Esther, my love," he said to her, "marry me."

"Yes," she replied, and he kissed her.

They spent the night talking, planning their future.

In the morning their engagement was announced and the wedding took place a few days later.

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	3. Interrupting the King

Interrupting the King

Esther looked at Hathach in shock; Mordecai wanted her to do what?

"You have to go the king," Hathach repeated, "and plead for your people."

"Going to the king unsummoned means certain death," Esther replied, "unless he holds up his golden scepter." _And I don't think he will do that for me_, she added silently to herself.

Hathach continued, "Mordecai also wanted me to tell you, 'don't you think you yourself will be able to escape more than the Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time like this?'"

Esther looked at Hathach, her dear father was right. She was in a position to save the Jews; what was one life in the face of a whole nation?

"Go," she told Hathach, "gather all the Jews in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf for three days. Then I will go to the king, and if I perish, I perish."

0000

Hegai tried to dissuade Esther from what he saw as a suicide mission, but Esther's mind couldn't be changed. For three days and three nights, Esther didn't eat or drink and her maids fasted with her, she prayed that she would find favour in the eyes of the king like she had done before and that she would be able to help her people.

0000

Xerxes was busy planning for war, the council met daily to make preparations. Haman, was also busy planning the annihilation of the Jews, he had been given more power by the king, in addition to this Haman had gallows built – to hang Mordecai who is a thorn in his side.

0000

On the third day Esther prepared herself, like she had done for her one night with the king and made her way to the king's palace.

Xerxes was listening to one of Prince's speak when the door burst open and Esther entered the room. Slowly she made her way towards him.

Esther kept her eyes down, praying that Xerxes would forget all the mistrust and half-truths that had come between them, that he would remember their love. She prayed that God would give her favour in the eyes of her husband, her love.

Xerxes looked at Esther as she walked down the aisle; she looked so beautiful and humble. He wondered what she wanted, what was so important that she would interrupt him thus, for he knew that his Esther was no fool, she wasn't a silly petulant child. He tried to read it from her face but she hid her eyes from him, he couldn't see it.

As Esther walked she heard the Princes shout, they were demanding for her death. At last she reached the podium, she slowly climbed up the steps and looked up at her beloved and smiled.

Xerxes could hear the Princes shout, they wanted Esther's head. Indeed the hangman was moving towards her with his axe ready to chop off her head. Xerxes ignored them all and continued to watch his Esther. She made her way directly towards him, when she was within a few feet of him; she looked up at him and smiled.

Xerxes couldn't help himself, he smiled at her.

The hangman seeing that the scepter hadn't been raised got ready to chop off Esther's head but Xerxes grabbed his arm and stopped him. The crowd gasped, such a scene had never been seen in the king's palace.

Xerxes reached for Esther and smiled at her.

"What is your request my queen?" he asked her, "It shall be given to you. Even to half my kingdom."

Esther looked at the crowd, it was too public. She couldn't let the fate of the Jews be decided in such a place.

"If it pleases you, my king, let you and Haman, come to a feast today that I have prepared for the king."

The king asked Haman to be summoned immediately they had a date with the queen.

0000

As Esther left the king's palace she praised God, for she had survived the axe man.

She hoped that the feast would go as planned, that the Jews would be saved.


	4. Petitioning the King

Petitioning the King

Esther sat in her banquet room waiting for the king and Haman to arrive. She'd done her best, prepared their favorite food, and made the room attractive, all that was missing was their presence.

Xerxes and Haman entered the banquet room and could immediately tell that the Queen had gone all out, the place was stunning and the food when it was served was perfect.

Haman kept up a steady stream of conversation, while Xerxes and Esther had little to say for themselves.

Finally Xerxes turned to Esther and repeated what he'd said earlier, "What is your request my queen? It shall be given to you. Even to half my kingdom."

Esther looked at her husband and beseeched him saying, "My lord, if I have found favour in your eyes, please spare my people."

Xerxes looked at her, perplexed, "your people? Pray ma'am, who are your people, for I have never heard you speak of them."

"I am Hadassah, a Jew," Esther told him.

"She's lying," Haman interrupted, "Queen Esther is no Jew."

Xerxes was still looking at his wife, could she be telling the truth, he wondered? Could she really be a Jew? If so, why had she kept it from him until now?

Esther looked at Xerxes. "My King," she said, "If you let this edict, that this man," pointing at Haman, "passed stand, then your Rachel, your Jacob will be killed." She took off the necklace, the gift she'd given to Xerxes on her one night with him, and put it near the flame of the candle.

Stars filled the room, rising from the candle to the ceiling.

Xerxes, Haman and Esther stared at the candle, each with a different expression, Xerxes' didn't change at all, and Esther was smiling softly while Haman kept looking from the flame to Esther's face in total disbelief.

"What?" Haman asked Esther, "Is something supposed to happen?"

Esther stopped smiling at looked at them, "did you not see it?" she asked Xerxes. "Did you not see the stars?" Xerxes stood up abruptly and left the room.

It was over, Esther thought to herself, she'd failed to save her people, she stood there in total defeat.

"What did you think?" Haman taunted her, "did you think that this ridiculous scheme would bring me to my knees?" He got onto his knees in front of her, "did you expect me to beg? To say, Esther, Esther please spare my life?" He reached out his hand and Esther fell back into the chair with Haman almost lying on top of her, smiling at her misery. Neither of them heard Xerxes walk back into the room.

"Will you now molest my wife while I am in my house?" Xerxes asked, angrily, while pulling Haman off Esther. "Take him out and deal with him accordingly."

"He had gallows built," the guard said, "to hang Mordecai the Jew."

"Hang him on them," Xerxes commanded and Haman was taken to the gallows.

0000

Esther and Xerxes remained in the room alone looking at each other silently.

"Why did you come back?" Esther asked him.

Xerxes walked towards her, taking her into his arms, "I saw the stars, my love, I saw the stars."

0000

"Why did you not tell me you were a Jew?" Xerxes asked her.

"My advised me against it," Esther replied, "but be assured it was the only thing I ever kept from you."

'Thank God," Xerxes said, "if all your secrets are as big as that, I don't know if I could bear it."

They were sitting on the bed in the King's chamber.

"I have missed you," Xerxes said, "you don't know how much."

"Me too," Esther replied.

"Tell me a story, about our people, the Jews," Xerxes said to her.

Esther smiled at him, wondering where to begin, there were so many stories to choose from. "Shall I tell you about Noah and the Ark, Abraham, Isaac or Joseph and his coat?"

"You shall tell me all," Xerxes said, "but let's start with a love story."

"Somehow I knew you'd say that."

00the end00

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


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